This article was previously published on Kumulos blog.
Google Analytics for Mobile Apps is shutting down. If you use the free version of Google Analytics, and if you have a free Google Analytics property collecting data exclusively from the Google Analytics Services SDK (Android or iOS), you should already have been notified. So, if you are one of the many that are using GA for mobile analytics, now would be a good time to step back and think about which app analytics service is the best fit for your mobile app development business.
Join the many, many app developers making the move away from Google to Kumulos ahead of the shut-down. Developers with apps of all shapes and sizes across a broad range of industry verticals are choosing to move from Google Analytics for Mobile to Kumulos. They tell us it’s because we are the analytics platform that gives greater clarity on how the apps are performing both technically AND commercially.
Which is nice to hear, because that’s precisely what we’ve set out to deliver. The Kumulos single pane of glass means we make it easier to understand app download trends, user engagement, user retention and user behavior, alongside the technical performance of the app, and any API dependencies impacting on users. So, past Google Analytics customers now get a more comprehensive view on how the app is performing.
If you’ve yet to select an alternative app analytics tool, the mobile app performance team here at Kumulos, will tell you everything you need to know about moving along the well beaten path transitioning from Google Analytics for Mobile, to Kumulos.
Google Analytics For Mobile Apps – Why Is It Shutting Down?
Many in the mobile app development industry are not surprised at Google’s decision. For a long time, the mobile version of Google Analytics has been considered to be slightly flawed. So is it a good thing that they are finally shutting it down.
Well, according to trusted sources such as Simo Ahava, Google is wanting all GA users to migrate to Firebase Analytics. So that will mean a new system to learn, a new system to set up and from those in the know, Firebase Analytics falls short of what many serious mobile app publishers need. So for some, this will be a backward step.
And, it’s not just Google Analytics that’s impacted here. Google is now starting the process of deprecating the legacy Google Analytics for Mobile Apps. This covers all data collection SDKs that do not have the word Firebase included. Also, take note, the Google Analytics tags in Google Tag Manager for mobile apps will be impacted.
October 31, 2019 = Deadline
Now that Google has started the process of deprecating their Google Analytics for Mobile Apps you need to take action. In fact, Google has already started to decommission properties that receive data exclusively from the Google Analytics Services SDK. Data collection and processing for such properties will stop on October 31, 2019.
However, reporting access through Google UI and API access will remain available for properties’ historical data until January 31, 2020.
After this though, the service will be fully shut down. These properties will no longer be accessible via Google Analytics UI or API, and data will be removed from Google Analytics servers.
Being Pushed To Firebase?
Moving from Google Analytics to Firebase isn’t an easy switch. If you’ve already taken a look at Firebase you will see why! Hopefully you’ve started to look at other players in the analytics field.
Despite the Firebase team making the user interface a little more intuitive it’s still not the easiest platform to understand. Firebase is known for having a very different approach to analytics, as it revolves around the duality of users and events. Yes, it’s a free app measurement solution that provides data on app usage and app user engagement, but it’s far from comprehensive, isn’t easy to understand and difficult to build actionable insights into how app performance can be improved.
However, you should use this time before October 31, 2019 to think carefully about what’s the best analytics tool for your mobile apps. Then, based on this, look around and see if there are alternative app reporting and analytics tools that better fit your needs.
About Kumulos Mobile App Analytics
Kumulos is used by a broad range of different organizations, from large multi-national enterprises to the software developers that build enterprise grade apps for their customers. If you build apps for your own customers then we can offer you something very different.
Kumulos app reporting and analytics feature lets you offer your customers a high value service. A service that they will pay you for monthly. You can take our analytics dashboard and automated monthly report, brand them as yours, and let your clients see how their app is performing. You can send them the detailed report, with your comments and observations added, to show them you are on top of their app performance. This helps you to keep the conversation flowing with your clients and work closely with them to drive mobile app success.
The reports can be delivered to you and your client weekly or monthly. The best bit? It’s all automated. The reports are branded as your mobile app development agency. This means you’re delivering an even higher standard of service than you did with Google Analytics for Mobile.
In house mobile app teams use the Kumulos analytics dashboard and reporting to understand how their apps are performing. This helps them formulate strategies to drive greater app performance. Our platform saves hundreds of hours work per month. No more flip flopping between disparate systems and reporting packages just to get a clear view on performance.
Put simple, we make life easier and decision making faster.
Single Pane Of Glass View Of App Performance
With Kumulos, simple means a single pane of glass view of app performance. You can see everything from downloads to which platforms are most popular, the location of users and more. When it comes to app retention you can analyze how engaged users are with the app. And, you can see the open and unsubscribe rates on push notifications. You also have all of the information you need about the app store listings so you can see how the app is performing in the stores. This makes it easy to develop an ASO strategy.
But it doesn’t stop at User Analytics. What sets Kumulos apart is the combination of technical performance alongside user behavior. You get to see both sides of the coin. We know that often the technical performance of the app is a blind-spot for many app owners. What we can show is just how critical it is to the commercial success of the app. And we can let you easily see how app crashes or latent APIs impact on App Store reviews, choking new app downloads, as well as the impact this has on retention rates of existing users.
GA gives you one lens to view your commercial app performance. With Kumulos you get 20/20 full depth vision on how your app’s performing by giving you both commercial and technical performance in one view. This means you can really understand what’s impacting app performance.
The Entire App Life Cycle
Kumulos is the most comprehensive mobile app performance management platform for mobile app development agencies and enterprise businesses. We give you a platform where you can access all the tools you need to drive mobile app success. This includes Push Notifications, App Store Optimization, App Analytics, Crash Reporting & Diagnostics, Document Sharing, Collaboration & Content Editing, all in one place. What’s more, all of the services are powered from one, single SDK, so integration is easier and the ongoing maintenance overhead is much less. You can also choose which services to use on each app, as each of the 5 Kumulos services can be used independently of each other. So, you pick the right service combination for each mobile app and of course only pay for what you need, keeping costs under control.
Industry Leading Mobile APM Platform
Kumulos mobile app analytics was a finalist for Best Mobile Analytics at App Growth Awards 2018, Berlin. In addition, our Push Notifications feature has been named a top Push Notifications service by Mobile App Daily, Business of Apps and The Tool.
Free Trial Of Kumulos App Reporting & Analytics
Sign up for a free trial of Kumulos app reporting and analytics and you can try all 5 features in the platform. See why thousands of mobile app development agencies are already using Kumulos to grow their business.
As a result of Google Analytics for Mobile shutting down, many mobile app developers are moving to Kumulos Analytics. It’s because we provide clarity on mobile app performance, clear insights into where performance can be improved AND uniquely we show you the complete user experience, all in one place… with both user commercial analytics and technical analytics.
Contact us to arrange a demo.
